Open Letter to Friends of MaxMyShopping

January 29, 2015

Dear Friends of MaxMyShopping,

Most of you know we have been working on the idea for a hyper-local grocery price-comparison tool for several years, starting out at a time when saving money was paramount in almost everyone’s mind. As we developed the idea and business model over time, we came to realize how the same type of notification service might be used to help food assistance agencies and we incorporated features that would offer a new channel of communication between local food pantries and their patrons and hopefully increase food donatoins.

And everyone said it was a GREAT idea!

In 2013, we launched MaxMyShopping.com and began to offer the SuperGrid as a “placeholder” spreadsheet tool while we sought funding to create the full auto-notification service we envisioned.

And everyone said it was a GREAT idea!

We didn’t need a lot of money – only about 25K. Angel investors and venture capitalists won’t even usually talk to you if you aren’t asking for a LOT more, usually millions. But the ones we did talk to, usually in an informal social setting, said…

It is a GREAT idea!

So in 2014 we put the SuperGrid data on hold, conducted a Kickstarter campaign, developed a simulation of the app/service, we were covered on 4 local news outlets, and everyone who interviewed us and those that attended our Kickstarter launch said…

It is a GREAT idea!

But, still, we could not raise the funds we needed to develop the MaxMyShopping Savings service for individuals and food pantries. In early 2015, we conducted a survey with 200 respondents that indicated, once again, that 70% of the people would use such a service, but 70% also said they would NOT pay a monthly subscription for the service, even if it helped their local food pantry. Did we survey the correct people? Did we do a proper cross-section analysis, etc. Probably not, but we feel this is more an indication of a societal expectation that all things delivered via your mobile device should be free (except your mobile service). That being the case, it is time for us to look at other ways to structure the service so that it can be a benefit to our community, the individual, and also generate revenue.

If all goes according to plan, funds should be available in 2016 that might allow us to fund the project ourselves and change the revenue model to something that will work. In the meantime, we have other projects to pursue. We will continue to maintain MaxMyShopping.com and our Facebook page with occasional posts in both locations, although we will not be publishing the SuperGrid again anytime in the near future. We will continue to support our local food pantries via social media and by personally purchasing $5 worth of food pantry donations each shopping trip. We may send the occasional email (only subscribers will receive those).

Look for news from us later this year regarding a new MaxMyShopping savings service under a new name. If you are not a subscriber and would like to stay informed about what we are doing and when the new service might be available in the Triad, click the Subscribe button on the right.